


The Marks That Make Us

by orphan_account



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Death, F/M, M/M, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-04-11 18:41:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4447427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna never wanted anyone, not after Selah had been ripped from her life, and Ben.....Ben had never wanted anyone other than Caleb no matter what the marks on his skin meant.</p><p>It looks like neither of them were going to get what they wanted.</p><p>Re-write of Turn AU Shorts, now a full and somewhat coherent story about three friends struggling to deal with the implications of the Marks that they bear and the people they are meant for.  Minor edits in the first two chapters so those who have read this before, large shift in the plot at the end of Chapter 3, fully re-written through Chapter 4</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna reflects on the men in her life and a very unwelcome newcomer finds his way to her.
> 
> So I'm not a big Simcoe/Anna shipper, actually a relationship between them would probably be horribly toxic, but the dynamic between them is kind of fascinating to watch so here's a little explorative one shot.

She was 16 the first time she met her match, still wounded by the loss of Abe when it became apparent he and Mary had been perfect matches.  Selah was a few years older than her, kind, strong and astoundingly patient with her, exactly the sort of person she truly needed.  But more important than all that was the lovely scroll work branded into his left forearm.  A delicate "S" that was an exact match to the mark on her right side, a sign that they were soulmates, each other's other half.  Everyone had one, but not everyone found theirs.  She, Selah, Mary and Abe, they were the lucky ones, it would take Ben years to find his match and Caleb, Caleb didn't even have a mark.

They married when she was 20 and he was 24.  A formality really since in the eyes of most of the world soulmates was already bound to each other legally but they had wanted to go through with it and their friends would never reject a chance to throw a party.  She continued with her education, attending University with the boys while Selah purchased a bar in the nearby town of Setauket.  The bar was a booming success and by the time she graduated Anna was half helping Selah run the place already so it only made sense that she put her marketing degree to good use and begin working full time to expand and grow Strong Tavern.  They settled into a happy rhythm and while she may not have loved Selah the way he loved her, she cared for him very deeply and was wholeheartedly devoted to him.

Of course all of this only made the loss of Selah that much harder to bear. She was 25 at the time, working late bar tending when Selah was returning from a meeting with their distributor.  It was late and the roads had been slick that night. She was told he had been hit by a drunk driver blowing through a stop sign. They said he would have died on contact, felt no pain, but that knowledge wasn't really comforting.  Knowing that he hadn't felt any pain wouldn't bring him back.

Life got hard after that. She nearly lost everything, including the bar, but with a little help from Ben and Caleb she had managed to put her life back together.  The three of them essentially ran the bar together, although Ben was fairly busy working towards his Doctorate so more often than not it was simply her and Caleb. She sold off the home she had owned with Selah and remodeled one of the rooms above the bar into her own tiny little apartment. Slowly things settled back into some semblance of normalcy for her so of course she should have known fate had other plans.

It was late Wednesday, she and Caleb chatting amiably as they manned the bar during an excruciatingly slow night.  It was so slow that she was actually debating the pros and cons of closing up early when a group of officers from a nearby military base arrived.

Most of them she recognized. She was particularly fond of Major Edmund Hewlett, a British officer who was on loan to the U.S. military for some sort of special assignment.  The two of them had bonded over their shared experience with the loss of a soulmate.  Edmund's had been a childhood sweetheart, dead by age seven from leukemia.  In some ways she thought it was almost kinder to lose your other half before you ever really had an understanding of what a soulmate really meant, before you were old enough to understand the sharp pain of loss like she was able to, but Edmund still understood her and how she felt better than anyone she had ever met.  Ensign Baker, another Brit, was always kind to her and so she welcomed his presence in the bar anytime he felt the least bit inclined to visit.  She was less fond of Major John Andre, who had moved to her small home town from London when they were sixteen, but he was polite enough and Abigail liked him so she tolerated his presence.  The fourth member of their party she did not know.  He was tall and lanky with a pale complexion, a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose and auburn hair. All of the men were dressed casually so that meant they were off duty at the moment.

"Anna, my dear, so good to see you," Hewlett pulled her into a hug as she stepped out from behind the bar.  "It's been far too long."

"That it has," she responded, placing a soft kiss on each of his cheeks, ignoring the mocking catcall from Caleb that came from behind her.

She moved to say more but was interrupted by the stranger.  "Major, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of your lovely friend.  Do introduce us," he drawled, his voice thin and reedy.

Anna noticed the way Hewlett stiffened as he stepped aside, but ever the gentlemen he put aside his obvious discomfort and did as requested.  "Captain Simcoe, may I present Mrs. Anna Strong," curious how he emphasized her marital status despite the fact that she had been a widow for near three years now.

She held out her hand for a simple handshake, but the newcomer instead gripped her fingers, bending down to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles. It was an old fashioned gesture that was meant to be charming, but as he took her hand she caught a quick glimpse of his forearm where the sleeves of his shirt had been pushed up and panic shot through her.  Right there, plain as day on his left forearm, the same place Selah's had been, was a mark.  Lovely scroll work forming a delicate little S.  Before she could even think she was tugging her hand from his and backing away, not even caring that by her actions everyone would know what that meant, they had all seen plain as day that she had spotted his mark.

"No, no, nonononononononono," she repeated as a mantra, hands shaking as they came up to cover her mouth in horror, as though that would change something. Third members of a soulmate bond weren't unheard of but they were rare, so rare that she hadn't even considered that finding someone after Selah was even a possibility.  She didn't want a new soulmate, she didn't want someone to reopen that wound Selah's death had left.

Had she been paying attention she would have seen the way comprehension dawned in Simcoe's eyes and she wouldn't have been so shocked when the man lunged forward, gripping her wrist and tugging her into his arms.  One arm locked tightly around her waist, the other still gripping her wrist so tight it was sure to bruise.

"Where is it," he demanded, but Anna didn't respond, simply closed her eyes and shook her head as she struggled to get away.

"Oi, get your hands off of her, shouted Caleb as he vaulted over the bar.

"Captain Simcoe, I must demand you release her this instant," commanded Hewlett.

"No," Simcoe responded, eyes locked on Anna, "not until she shows me her mark and proves she isn't mine.  Now tell me where your mark is madame." He demanded.

Anna shuddered at his tone, he was so different from Selah, Selah would have never demanded anything of her, how could this man be her soulmate.

He clearly was growing frustrated with her reticence to obey and instead just tugged the hem of her tank top up to reveal her midriff, clearly prepared to strip her bare in his frantic need to see her mark and verify their match with no regard for her modesty.  He crowed in delight when he spotted the mark on her right side. "I knew it, I knew it would be someone like you, you're perfect," he stated before pulling her into a harsh kiss. Grinning like a maniac when he pulled away.

Anna responded in the only way she truly could when presented with this particular circumstance, she fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna's second encounter with John Graves Simcoe proves to be just as unsettling as her first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to do a cute little Ben and Caleb short, but then this little scene got in the way. Comments on what you would like to see next are appreciated!!

Her fainting spell had provided her with a brief reprieve from having to face Simcoe once more.  She was told, by grim faced Ben who had been by her bedside when she awoke a few hours later that Caleb had closed up down below after forcibly removing Simcoe from the premise.  Ben had recounted the whole story with a deeply etched frown and that odd little furrow between his brows that he always got when he was worried, hair pulled back sloppily into a bun at the top of his head, dark circles beneath his eyes - Anna would later find out that Ben had stumbled upon the first of his two soulmates three days prior and it turns out the man was a complete and unmitigated ass - told her how Simcoe had stood outside the bar for two or so hours ranting and raving about how they were perfect for each other and that it was a crime to keep him from her, that Hewlett and Andre had had to drag him away as the hour grew late.

Her reprieve was short lived though, a little more than twelve hours.  Both Caleb and Ben had protested against it, argued she needed more rest, but she needed to do something, so here she was, behind the bar taking stock of their supplies. Ben had left earlier to meet with his mentor, Professor Washington, and discuss the upcoming presentation of his dissertation for his doctoral degree and Caleb had run out to make deliver.

It was shortly before nine am and they would not be opening for some time. She was certain she had locked the front door, so when it creaked open she was so startled she nearly dropped the bottle of gin she had in her hand.

“I’m terribly sorry to have frightened you,” called out a terrifyingly familiar voice, she didn’t have to turn to know who it was.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she responded, not turning to face him yet, steeling herself and trying to calm her breathing.  It wouldn’t do for her to show this man how terrified she actually was.

She heard him take three swift steps forward, he would be just on the other side of the bar now she guessed, based on his height and loping strides. “I know, but I had to see you again, I had to make sure you were alright after the frightful scene that occurred last night.”  It was almost painful to hear the sincerity and affection in his voice.

Her heart was still racing, but she had controlled her breathing and schooled her features enough that she was fairly certain she could face him now. So she plastered a smile on her face and turned around. She was startled by how close he was, leaning over the bar and into her personal space, but still her voice remained clear and even as she spoke. “That’s very kind of you Captain Simcoe, but as you can see I am perfectly fine.”

He responded with a wan smile, “I know there is little truth behind your words madame, Major Andre has recounted your tale of loss to me.  I understand now that you lost your first soulmate a few years past.” He leaned forward even more, forcing her to lean back to keep her distance from him. “Knowing that now I can understand why you would respond with such distress last night and I must apologize for my forwardness, in my joy at finding you I overlooked your discomfort and treated you in a deplorable manner.”

“That’s very kind of you sir..” whatever else she would have said was cut off once more.

“But you must understand, I was overjoyed to the point where I lost all reason when I discovered you.  I spent so much of my youth fantasizing of what my soulmate would be like, worrying that I would never find them. And then to discover you, a creature who is so lovely, who is beautiful, strong, and, as I am told, fiercely independent.  You are everything I could have ever imagined and so I must apologize for losing sense.  If it would please you, I would like to start over and handle this appropriately, I would like to court you, formally.”

Anna nearly choked on her own breath when she heard his words. Courting was not something she had experienced, something that was generally reserved for the wealthy. An opportunity for the rich and powerful to woo the individual in the soul pair to woo their counterpart, an old fashioned way of establishing the pursuer and pursued, the dominant member of the pair and the more submissive member.  No, Anna had never experienced that, Selah had never treated her like anything less than an equal, a partner in everything.  No need to woo her or shower her with gifts.  They had gone on simple dates, movies at the local drive in, greasy burgers from that diner just of I-80, sneaking out of her parents house to make out in the back of his beat up old truck in some empty field.  No, she certainly wasn’t interested in courting, and especially not from a soulmate  she didn’t want.  

“That’s very kind of you Captain,” she chose her next words carefully, not knowing how this stranger would respond, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with this unnerving man. “But I must politely decline your overture.”  His smile slipped a fraction further, “as you already know, I have lost one soulmate in the past few years, and I am not seeking to replace him, ever. Fate has been unkind to both of us in this instance, but it is for the best that we part ways now, before anything further can occur between us that might cause heartache for you.”

By the time she had finished he had this sad pitying look she could not quite read, “I understand your grief and your reticence to move forward, but I will not give up so easily.”

She was careful in how she spoke next, “Sir, if you are a gentleman than you will leave me in peace.”

He stepped back slightly, but that unsettling smile remained in place. “I will change your mind madame, I can promise this.”

And oh wasn’t that an unsettling promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both of Ben's soulmates show up, much to his horror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So little Ben angst here. Enjoy I'll get to the cute little Ben and Caleb story next. 
> 
> Just a quick fyi. In terms of relationships, courting was established by certain wealthy, conservative members of upper class in an effort to establish gender norms in a world where your "soulmate" is determined by a mark. It's complete bullshit that society would feel the need to establish a "man" and a "woman" in a relationship, but it does speak to societies need to fit everything into a nice little box and it probably isn't all that far off from how society might actually react in the world that I've tried to establish in this fic.
> 
> Also this fic will be undergoing some major edits, starting with this chapter.
> 
> Comments and kudos always appreciated.

Ben hadn't wanted either of his friends to find out about his soulmate. He didn't want to burden Anna any more after the Simcoe incident and didn't want to drag Caleb, poor sweet Caleb who didn't even have a soulmark and had loved Ben since they were seven despite the fact that Ben had not one, but two marks of his own.

Ben and Caleb had been friends since before either of them could remember, lovers since their teens.  They'd started fooling around when Ben was seventeen, only a few months before his second mark had appeared.  They weren't exclusive or dating exactly - Ben suspected that had more to do with Caleb's fear of losing him if one of his soulmates actually found him - but Ben couldn't imagine being with anyone else and he was fairly sure Caleb felt the same.

So yes, he desperately tried to keep his soulmates appearance away from two of the people he viewed as practically family, of course that choice was taken away from him before the weeks end.

It was a rare Friday where he had time to help out at the bar, so there he was, behind the bar mixing drinks with Caleb while Anna flitted around the packed dance floor taking orders and dropping off drinks. The music was thumping and the place was packed. Tips had been great that night and both Caleb and Ben had been plied with just enough alcohol to make the lose and flirty without hampering their bar tending skills.  They'd dressed carefully, and based on the tips they were dragging in tonight, Ben suspected their efforts had been well appreciated by the patrons of the bar.  Ben was dressed in a tight fitting blue t-shirt, long hair pulled back into a bun showing off sharp cheekbones and pretty features.  Caleb, on the other hand, was dressed in black and brown, smelling of salt and the sea after a long day out on the whale boats, unshaven and scruffy in a way that only he could pull off, in a way that Ben loved.

Ben remembers turning his back to grab a bottle of wine, giving Caleb a quick peck on the cheek as he passed him, the girls Caleb had been serving cooing over how adorable they were.  They probably assumed they were soulmates like so many other patrons always assumed, an assumption neither of them would make an effort to correct.

He had only just grabbed the bottle of Pinot when he felt someone grab a hold of his arm and tug him backwards, the bottle slipping from his hand and shattering on the floor, side colliding painfully with the edge of the bar top. A large hand settled in his hair, gripping painfully and tugging upwards, forcing Ben to meet a pair of dark angry eyes.

The man he was faced with was tall, dark hair, broad shoulders and frighteningly familiar features.  "What do you think you're doing Tallmadge, remember who you belong to," the man growled before pulling Ben into a brutal, one sided kiss.

The kiss was harsh, more tongue and teeth than anything else as Bradford tried to coax some sort of response out of Ben, but Ben didn't want this, didn't want anyone other than Caleb

"Hey, hands off," Caleb shouted. Suddenly Ben was pulled away from the man, almost losing a good chunk of hair in the process, and shoved back behind Caleb. "What the bloody fuck is wrong with you Bradford."

Caleb had had the unfortunate displeasure of meeting Willim Bradford two times prior, but Ben had known him longer since they had been in the same graduate program and their paths often crossed throughout the course of their post graduate studies.  The first time he had met the other man had been a year ago, in this very Bar when Bradford had decided to harass Ben about his thesis while the other man was simply trying to get some work down on an extremely slow night at the bar - Ben and Bradford's studies were both focused on the American Continental's war efforts during the revolutionary war, although they came from very different schools of thought that often clashed.  On top of that, Bradford's advisor, Robert Lee, despised Ben's advisor, Dr. Washington, which only added to the animosity between the two men.

The second time had been about four months ago when he had been on campus to meet Ben for lunch.  That time he had actually had to pull the other man off of his best friend as Bradford tried to beat Ben bloody for some transgression or some misplaced turn of phrase.

Needless to say, Caleb hated the bastard, and for good reason. 

Those standing around the bar quieted down, eyes locked on the scene that was playing out. Ben desperately wanted to sink in the floor now, there was no way his little secret wouldn't come into the light now.

Bradford straightened his shoulders, not even bothering with a verbal response he just thrust his arm forward so Caleb could examine the blocky B inked on the inside of his wrist. The same B that was on Ben's collarbone, which Bradford had noticed when he had gripped Ben by the shirt front and promised to beat Ben bloody for some perceived transgression, threats only dying off when he spotted the mark where Ben's shirt had gaped.

Now he grinned triumphantly. "He belongs to me Brewster."

Caleb was rendered speechless as he was confronted with one of his worst nightmares.  He and Ben had spoken countless times about what to do when faced with this very situation, what to do if all of their efforts to keep Ben's soulmates from finding him, if all their efforts to keep Ben's Marks hidden ended up being for naught.  But now that he had been faced with it, he couldn't find his voice to tell the other man to shove off and that.

Ben also failed to find his voice, sickness and dread settling low in his stomach.  Was this really what the universe had planned for him, matched him with someone who viewed him more as a possession than a person, was this his penance for so thoughtlessly thinking he could avoid fate, that he could make his own choices about who he did and did not want to be with.

Thankfully there was someone else at the bar that night willing to speak up and refute that claim of ownership.

"Clearly you weren't paying attention in my class on soul bond law you took from me a year ago Mr. Bradford," commented a cold voice. Ben glanced around Caleb to see Dr. Washington eyeing Bradford disdainfully.  Washington, despite being at least fifteen years Ben's senior, was a tall man, strong and well built in a way that sometimes pushed Ben to distraction during his classes and meetings, despite his loyalty to Caleb even he was willing to admit his professor was a handsome man.  Tonight in particular, dressed casually in a pair of black slacks and a white shirt with the collar undone and absent his usual tie. "Had you been you would know it's well within Mr. Tallmadge's rights to reject his bond with you, no matter what your thoughts on the matter might be or how society may frown upon it. So I would advise you move along before the authorities are called in."

Bradford scowled but stormed out of the bar nonetheless. He knew how to pick his battles and this was not one he would win, professor Washington was too well respected in the community for that.

Ben breathed a sigh of relief and tried to step out from behind Caleb to thank the professor, but his movements were halted by Caleb's hand clamping down on his hip, right over where the ornate W was etched into Ben's skin. Ben opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off when he saw what Caleb's eyes had locked on.

There, just visible at the base of Washington's throat, where it would normally be covered by his suit, was an ornately scripted W, just like Ben's. Caleb's hand twitched over Ben's hip, grip tightening to the point of bruising, dragging a pained gasp from Ben's lips.

Washington, of course, was able to figure out what was going on in short order, eyes darting between Ben's face and where his gaze fell and Caleb's hand locked over Ben's hipbone.

"Ah, I see now," he commented. "I always suspected you were special Benjamin, but two Marks, that is truly unique. May I?" He nodded to Ben's hip. "It's terribly forward of me in light of the defense I just gave I know, but I would like to see it."

"Not a chance," snapped Caleb, didn't matter that this was Ben's favorite professor, his bond with Ben was still an unwanted interference in their relationship.

Ben was shaking now, hands coming up to fist in the back of Caleb's shirt, pressing forward, burying his face into Caleb's shoulder, trying to shrink himself as much as possible, trying to hide behind his best friend from what felt like a bad dream.  "I....I can't.....I," he couldn't find his voice, usually so eloquent, so well spoken and he had been reduced to almost nothing but incoherent stuttering.  He looked up again, eyes locking on Washington over Caleb's shoulder, noting the warmth and affection in those eyes, the same look he had seen in Caleb's eyes more times than he could count.  

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't," and then Ben was fleeing, through the back of the bar, into the kitchen and then out into the alleyway out back, one hand on a knee, the other on the brick wall beside him for balance, bent over as his stomach tried to retch up what little he had managed to eat earlier today.

Suddenly there was a cool hand on his forehead, gentle fingers combing back the hair that had come loose from his bun.  "Shhhh, I've got you Tallboy, you're safe now, it's all gonna be ok, shhhhhh just breath Benny boy, I've got you."

It wasn't until Caleb's gentle hands pulled Ben back into his chest that he realized he had even been crying. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Caleb cute one shot

Caleb remembered how happy he had been when that B had shown up on Ben's collarbone when they were eight. He remembered telling everyone who would listen how it meant that Ben was his and that he was Ben's. He hadn't even been old enough to understand the concept of soul marks, the implications that had for them.  All he knew was that B on Ben meant they belonged together, that he would never lose his best friend to someone else.

Or so they had believed for so long. Years passed and no matching mark showed up on Caleb, by sixteen they had given up hope one ever would, resigned themselves to the fact that Ben was marked by someone else.

Ben rebelled against this, argued that he didn't need a mark to tell him who he was meant to be with, that none of that mattered. He kept the mark covered, never took his shirt off around others, never let anyone new see it.  If his soulmate never found him then they couldn't take him away from Caleb.

Caleb, of course, responded in the opposite manner. He tried to distance himself from Ben, prepare himself to lose his friend.

That lasted all of a few months until they got into a screaming match the week after Ben's seventeenth birthday.

The fight ultimately ended with Ben as a fucked out mess on Caleb's bed while the other boy leaned over him, a soft, affectionate smile on his face as his thumb stroked Ben's mark.

"You know the mark doesn't change what you mean to me," Ben commented once he had regained his breath, "it never has."  It was true too, Ben didn't need a mark, he didn't need fate to tell him that he and Caleb were forever, that they were meant for each other.

Caleb's smile turned sad in response, "but it does change what you could mean to someone else." Caleb shifted onto his side, pulling Ben closer and tangling their legs together. "I'm a jealous possessive bastard Tall Boy, you know this, and if you're mine I don't much fancy the thought of sharing you with someone else. It would be best if we part ways now before one of us gets heartbroken."

Ben shut down that train of thought quickly enough, "I'm not leaving you Caleb, soulmate or not."

"And you can't know that, you haven't even met them yet, you're probably perfect for them."  And Ben, Ben was perfect, smart, fun, gorgeous, one of the kindest people Caleb had ever known.  Ben deserved perfect, deserved more than scruffy, habitually late, sarcastic, complete mess of a man that Caleb Brewster was.

God Ben was sick of hearing that argument, so sick of Caleb not seeing his own worth, seeing how amazing he actually was.  Caleb was everything to Ben, strong willed, funny, a breath of fresh air in a world obsessed with finding that person that was supposedly perfect for you.  Ben had seen first hand what matching Marks meant, he didn't need sorrow like that in his life.  He shoved Caleb onto his back and moved to straddle him, hand gripping Caleb's jaw and forcing him to meet his eyes. "Then I'll make sure I never find them and they never find me. I'm not going to lose you because of someone I've never met coming between us."

"But they're your other half Tall Boy, they'd make you happy."

"A matching mark doesn't mean they'll make me happy," Ben snapped. "Or haven't you been paying attention to that sad look Abe gets when he sees Selah and Anna together, the way Mary tries so hard to make Abe love her when he clearly has eyes for someone else.  What about Andre and the way his eyes follow Peggy even though he is like you and doesn't even have a mark. Or how about the way Abigail would sooner slap Akinbode than kiss him. Caleb, an unknown soulmate isn't going to make me happy, you make me happy and if I have to keep this stupid mark covered up to keep you then so be it."

Caleb stared up at him with a dopey expression on his face, "you're perfect Tall Boy, did I ever mention that."

Ben rolled his hips down against Caleb. Relishing the groan it dragged out of him. "You may have mentioned it a time or two, or ten.

Caleb laughed flipping Ben onto his back. "Oh I remember it now, couldn't stop babbling about it when I was balls deep in your perfect arse.

"That you did, I also remember you mentioning something about handcuffs as well, or was that just an empty promise."

Caleb's responding smile was wolf like. Oh yes, Ben could keep that mark hidden, just as he would the one that appeared three months later. He didn't need a soulmate, all he needed was Caleb.


	5. Chapter 5

When Ben woke up it was on a comfortable couch, his head in someone's lap and gentle, slender fingers stroking through his now loose hair. His eyes fluttered open to see a familiar living room and when he glanced up he saw that it was Anna he was laying on as he heard Caleb bustling around in the kitchen, cursing as he searched for something. 

"How did I..." Ben started as he tried to sit upright, only to have Anna push him back down. 

"Just relax Ben, at least until Caleb gets back with some tea for you," her dark eyes were worried, but also left no room for argument so Ben simply settled back in her lap, closing his eyes and letting her resume stoking his hair. 

"How did I get up here?" He asked, voice soft. 

"After the incident downstairs Caleb brought you up here. You needed to get away and the bar would be fine without the two of you for a few hours, I closed up about twenty minutes ago."

That had Ben shooting up to a seated position despite Anna's protests, "oh God Anna, I am so sorry, we left you alone on the busiest night of the week."

There was a soft smile on her face as she looked at him, two hands coming up to cup his face, taking in the dark circles and the thinness of his features, clearly he hadn't been eating or sleeping properly for some time. "We managed, Hewlett and Baker were both present and stepped up to help. They are not quiet as adept as you or Caleb at mixing drinks, but I had to make do in a place pinch." She didn't say anything further, just continued to regard him with her sad dark eyes. 

"Still Anna, I'm so sorry. We made such a scene and I know it must have irritated some of the regulars and I......" Anna cut him off before he could go any further. 

"The regulars are worried about you Ben, they weren't irritated, they just wanted to make sure you were ok," she took in a deep breath before continuing on. "Ben, how long have you known about your matching marks?"

Ben looked down, eyes locked on a dark coffee stain on the coffee table, voice small and quiet when he responded. "A few days before Simcoe for Bradford, what you saw down there was the first time I found out about Dr. Washington."

"Why didn't you tell us?" that was Caleb, standing in the doorway, steaming cup of tea that smelled distinctly of lemon and honey in his hands. He took three long steps forward, shoving the mug into Ben's hands before crouching down, fingers tucking under Ben's chin and forcing him to meet his gaze, "Why didn't you tell me?"

He had been terrified, that's why, fearful that Caleb would leave him because he had failed to keep his promise that his soulmate wouldn't find him, but he couldn't very well say that. No, if he gave that feat voice he would be facing the very real possibility that it would come true. "I didn't want to worry you, either of you. And then the Simcoe issue came up and it just didn't seem like the right time to say anything."

"So you lied to me instead, well, lied by omission" Caleb's voice was still soft, no real bite to it. After all he had no right to be angry with Ben over something the other man couldn't control, that he couldn't change now. He was angry that Ben hadn't told him, but that had more to do with the obvious toll keeping this secret had taken on him then the fact that he had actual kept it from Caleb. Ben's weight had dropped sharply, he wasn't eating right and he was barely sleeping in the last few weeks.

"I wasn't sure how you would respond, I was worried," Ben's voice was soft and it damn near broke Caleb's heart to hear Ben sound like this. Beautiful, confident, always pulled together Ben sounding like his entire world was about to crumble before his eyes. No Caleb couldn't let Ben continue on like this, he couldn't hurt his best friend, the love of his life like that. 

So he did the only thing he could, plucked the mug from Ben's hand and placed it in the coffee table before he grabbed Ben's hand in his own, forced a smile on his face and made sure his voice was strong and steady when he spoke. "I told you before Tallboy, I'm a jealous possessive bastard, and I'm not letting you go without a fight, perfect soul mates or not. I know I said a long time ago that I couldn't live with, couldn't be with you and just you if there was even the possibility of losing you. But after seeing them tonight, after seeing you tonight I know now that I was an idiot for not committing to you, for letting my own fear dictate what our relationship would be. I'm not going to make that mistake again Ben, I love you and I'm not going to leave you."

Ben could feel his eyes welling up with tears, but thankfully they didn't spill over, "I love you too Caleb," he managed to croak out after a second, hand reaching out blindly until he found Anna's. "You two are the closest thing I have to family left and I'm not letting any soul mates, be it Simcoe, Bradford or Washington come between the three of us, not ever."

Anna squeezed his hand reassuringly, reaching out to take Caleb's to form a little triangle. "We'll get through this boys, together, just like we always have.


	6. Chapter 6

Ben managed to successfully avoid both Bradford and Dr. Washington for a good three weeks by working from home as much as possible and only being on campus when absolutely needed by Dr. Arnold. Of course that all came crashing down in less than a day. 

"Dr. Washington has asked that I meet with him this afternoon, he said it's important," Ben felt dread settle in his stomach once more as he told Caleb about the email he had received late last night. It was a bit before five am, Caleb getting ready to leave for a full day out of the fishing boats, Ben checking through his emails on his tablet and making breakfast for the both of them in their shared apartment. "He wants to meet after his courses for the day are done at 4:30 today, Jesus, Caleb what should I do?" Ben fretted as he plated up the scrambled eggs and toast for Caleb and his own tofu scramble. 

"You can't avoid him forever Benny-Boy," Caleb pointed out as he refilled both of their coffees. "Mighty as well get it over with, like ripping off a band aid at this point. Now that he knows about your mark the two of you need to talk, need to work through what you are and explain to him what you and I are to each other."

Ben just cocked an eyebrow at Caleb's response, "when did you become the rationale and calm one in this relationship?"

"Around the same time your world started falling to shit, seemed only fair I pick up the slack when you've got all this crazy around you," Caleb responded planting a quick kiss on Ben's lips, "but if Bradford comes within 50 feet of you I can't make any promises not to beat him bloody."

That pulled a chuckle from Ben, "and I'd be right there cheering you on."

Even in light of the looming conversation everything seemed so bright and hopeful in their dingy little kitchen, figured it would only go downhill from here. 

\--

"Tallmadge, wait, just wait, Jesus all I want is to talk," Bradford had the worst timing, truly. It figures Ben would run into him in his way to his meeting with Dr. Washington. 

Ben turned on his heel to face the other man who was jogging across the campus lawn to get to Ben, "I don't have time for this Bradford."

"Yeah, big meetings, busy boy that you are, I know, but this is important."

Ben just barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the dark haired man. "I'm serious Bradford, I have five minutes until my meeting with Dr. Washington. You said you wanted to talk so talk, and make it quick."

Of course Bradford, obstinate as ever, wasn't about to take orders, especially from Ben. Instead he reached out, one hand wrapping around Ben's arm and tugging him in close enough that Ben could easily make out each of the brunettes individual lashes. His other hand came up to shove aside Ben's flannel and tug down the collar of the black tee he wore under it -Washington wasn't as much of a stickler for appropriate dress outside of classroom hours so Ben hadn't made much of an effort in dressing this morning, his hair was even tucked beneath a grey beanie - thumb brushing against the B on Ben's collarbone, the strong grip he had on Ben's arm the only thing stopping him from jerking away from Bradford. 

"You know not so long ago people had a sense of respect for their Marks, a reverence for them even, but now, now we've got upstarts like you thinking you can just ignore them, move on with your life and pretend they don't exist. It's not natural," Bradfords voice was soft when he finally spoke.

"Fuck you Bradford," Ben hissed, trying to tug his arm away only to have Bradford's grip tighten to the point of bruising. 

Bradford let out a a short huff of laughter, "will you fucking listen to me for a second Tallmadge, I don't mean it as an insult when I relate it to you, if anything I'm not surprised you're acting the way you are since you're probably the furthest the thing from normal I've ever experienced."

"You know for claiming this isn't an insult you're managing to still make it sound an awful lot like one."

"Do you ever shut up when you're told to or is this whole not listening just a thing for you."

Ben couldn't help but grin a little bit at that as he motioned for the other man to continue, in that instant Bradford sounded remarkably like Caleb.

"What I'm trying to say is that I get it, I get this whole wanting to make you're own fate and destiny or whatever the hell it is you seem so bent on achieving, all I'm asking is that you're careful, that you reconsider the long term effects your choices might have. I'm patient Tallmadge, but even I have my limits and if it takes you too long to realize we're suited for each other I can't guarantee I won't resent you for it once you finally turn up on my doorstep."

The way Bradford spoke about their shared mark, the way he treated it like some sort of inevitability has Ben's hackles raising. "You don't get it at all do you?" he spat out, trying to jerk away again, only to wince as Bradford's grip tightened once more. "You've gone out of your way to antagonize me for years, you're an egotistical, delusional, selfish social climber who cares so little for others that you can barely even deign to give you're soulmate the space requested, to honor his wish to stay the fuck away from him. Even with this Mark you are the last person in the world I would ever want to maintain any relationship with, romantic or otherwise," by the time he finished his little diatribe he was nose to nose with Bradford, glaring up at the man. 

Bradford looked utterly incensed at Ben's words. "You won't be able to run away from it forever pretty boy. I give you a week before you're on your knees in front of me begging for it," Ben could almost taste the venom in Bradford's words as he shoved Ben back and stormed away. 

"Arse," Ben muttered after him before straightening his clothing and turning to resume his course towards the Faculty building and Dr. Washington's office.


End file.
